Forgive Me
by Lazlo Pizazzlo
Summary: A young hybrid's minor injury exposes the coldest of rulers to his warmer paternal side.


_I meant to post this a while back...meh, only missed Father's Day by a week! XD; An important thing to keep in mind here is that Black Doom is in a hedgehog form...long story short, it's just better to visualize and...cuddle with. XD_

_This was a very fun experience...testing out Black Doom's compatibility with sympathy and affection and all that. It was difficult to fit him in with, but that's what writing is aaaall about. :D So you'll be seeing Paternal!Hedgie!Black Doom here._

_Enjoy, folks!  
><em>_-Laz_

_PS- **no**, this is **not**, nor is it implying incest in the least bit. If it was, trust me, I'd put a higher rating on it XD_

* * *

><p>"And how many times have I told you to watch where you're going?"<p>

The little ebony hedgehog sniffed, the sting on his knee engulfing his attention so much he could barely hear his parent's words. The pain he felt was most merciless, and though he attempted to keep strong for his 'papa' and not show any tears, they were beginning to cloud his vision. He whimpered as he felt a cold iciness meet with his wound, eyes snapping shut. How he wished to protest, but his chest was tight in result of warding off the sting behind his crimson eyes.

"Shadow…?" the dark, rich voice was quieter, almost gentler this time, but it struck a strange sense of urgency in the little one's chest. He swallowed the knot in his throat, giving one last sniffle before answering.

"I…I don't know…" little Shadow stammered, wiping his eyes as his breathing became shaky. "A-a lot…"

The larger black hedgehog frowned, seeing tears form in his son's eyes. Though he wished to scold him further, he knew Shadow was in no state to take emotional pain in addition to the physical agony he was tolerating now. Silently, he resealed the bottle of disinfectant, something that had rarely been used, and returned both it and the small cloth to the counter behind him. He took a long strip of black cloth and turned back to the little injured hybrid, who now was leaking tears. It, at first, did not move the alien leader, but gradually it began to pull at his stomach. Quietly he began to wrap the wound, being as kind and graceful to it as possible, but Shadow's small hiccups never ceased. His ears fell in pity.

"Does it hurt, Shadow?" the father asked, a level above a whisper. The child nodded, sniffing and wiping his soaked cheeks, still attempting to be strong for the millennia-old alien. "Just take slow, even breaths…it'll feel better soon."

Those calming words practically scraped his throat as they climbed out; never before had he ever shown such comfort to a soul. Even when little Shadow had nightmares, he still held fast to his cold demeanor, trying to reason with him with logic rather than level with Shadow's childish imagination. It felt different now, though; it may have been the amount of time they had spent with one another, or simply a paternal instinct, but whatever it was, his mind was at a loss of what to do with himself.

As the bandage ran out, he intricately tucked the end of it within the other folds, keeping it tight enough that it wouldn't unwind. He took a moment's pause and placed a hand above Shadow's knee, signifying silently that the work was done.

"There." He said, uncertain if he should go as far as to smile. He decided against it, but if he did, it certainly wouldn't last long considering his little son's appearance that followed.

Though the hardest and most painful part was over, Shadow didn't seem at ease. His muscles were still tight, little hands clenched on the small cushioned infirmary table. His eyes stung, beginning to lose the battle for keeping his composition in front of his parent. His guilt that weighed his shoulders down began to crush him, and it was not long before he found himself unable to keep it inside any longer. He sniffed, clamping his eyes shut and bringing his tiny hands to his face as his weeping commenced.

"I-I'm sorry, papa…" he hiccupped, rubbing his eyes as more tears came. The pain was beginning to subside, but he had disappointed his father yet again in his eyes, and Shadow hated being a burden. All he ever wanted was to make him proud. Little Shadow began to sob harder, shoulders trembling and breathing uneven. His father furrowed his brow, casting a pained look to the floor; he never was certain how to deal with such emotional situations. But it was clear that Shadow needed another form of comfort now, one that he was unfamiliar with, but seeing him like this struck a cold, dull pain in the other's chest.

The three-eyed hedgehog took Shadow silently, lifting him up and placing him in his lap. He petted through the child's crimson-striped quills, he himself trying to mask his frantic uncertainty with an air of peace. Whether it worked or not, the little one turned and dug his face into his robes, his quiet moans muffled by the cloth. Only for a brief second did the father worry about the resulting condition of his clothing; he found his focus planted on calming the little one down.

His hand stroked Shadow's back, patting it softly every once in a while. "There, there, Shadow…" he whispered into the little one's ear, "it's alright.

What he was forgiving him for was vague, though he had an idea of what Shadow meant. He had seen early that his son saw him as a high authority and knew he needed to please him, just as the others had. But because Shadow was different, having a true, fully developed conscience, and because he was younger and less able, he often found himself getting in the way or making a mess of some things. Though his father half-desired him to stay in his room, they both knew Shadow was unable to do so. He wanted to help; he wanted to love, care, and make his papa proud. Shadow made mistakes, yes, but now his pent-up disappointments in himself were being unleashed through tears. The leader embraced his child hesitantly, but tightly.

Things would get better over time, he knew.

After a short while of little Shadow's sobbing, his breathing smoothed and eased. His eyelids grew heavy, his cheeks flushed with rose and his ears flat against his head. The rich, earthy scents of his father filled his small nose, and it warmed his insides, relaxing his tense, tight chest and allowing his entire body to ease. The small hedgehog nuzzled his father, letting his limbs grow limp, and letting his conscious sink in a deep, vast sleep.

Black Doom smiled to himself, a light flush warming his own cheeks as he felt the child rest. Such small displays of affection – physical affection, at that, twisted his insides, but that twisting somehow felt…right. He realized now that he was this hedgehog's father – his protector and guardian. Somehow it felt so much different than the pride of his soldiers, the ones that sourced from him directly. Feeling this contact with the little one was endearing. He, dare he say, liked it. Slowly, he leaned into Shadow's forehead, giving him a small kiss before leaning back against the wall and closing his own eyes.

He may have not been the ideal parent, but he was certainly proud to have Shadow as a son.


End file.
